Mechanism for puncturing containers



l: A. E. TO"'H July 1952 MECHANISM FOR PUNCTURING CONTAINERS 2603385 AND DISPENSING LIQUIDS THEREFROM 7 Filed April 18, 1949 3 sheets'shee" 1 IN VEN TOR.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

E. TOTH MECHANISM FOR PUNCTURING CONTAINERS AND DISPENSING LIQUIDS THEREFROM Filed April 18, 1949 I July 15, 1952.

A. E. TOTH July 1952 MECHANISM FOR PUNCTURING CONTAINERS 2,603,385

AND DISPENSING LIQUIDS THEREFROM Filed April 18, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

Patented July 15, 1952 ipiEoH NI-sMroa PUNQTURING; coN- I H mmune-AND DISPENSINGTLIQUIDS Alexander E. TOth, EBQStf'I-dldOfOhiO Y ,ApplicationApril 18, 1949,;-S,erial;No;88,134 3 Glaims. (Cl. ZZZ-+835)".

' firms invention .relatesto the han'dlingof poun 1 time 1naterials,. primarily the dispensing of liquids from containers and is particularly adapt- -.able for ,supplyingloil from metal packages to motor vehicles.

object ofthisinventionis to provide a L funnel into which a container of liquid maybe ...'deposited:and by the operation of incorporated -mechanism, the container or -"can may be opened, the contents allowed to how therefrom and be directed into a desired receptacle.

Another-object of this invention is to provide a mechanism-- incorporated in afunnel which not only..v-rup.tures the. enclosed container to establish I 'a drain opening, but also cuts or punches a vent thereinto to aid in the drainage operation.

- Another object of this invention is to provide a mechanism incorporated with the funnel to establish drainage .andivent openings, which -mechanismmay be operated by. one hand,- leaving 1 :theother hand of anop'erator free to replace the emptied --containers, open'closu'res for the recepmtacles into which the contentsare to be delivered,

- orany-othernecessary or desirable operation.

.Stillanother objectofuthis invention is to provide a funnel which. may bezfilled with a prede- -terminecl. quantity ofmaterial, either from a con- -tainer.within or Without the funnel, and tohold wthe vsarneuntil the time and place for. discharge isreached and then control. the drainage.

1 anotherobject of .this invention is to pro- 'vide .a. funnel which may incorporate anyone or any combination of the features heretofore enuonerated.

Other objects and advantages of this invention -relating to the arrangement, uoperation and function of the related elementsofthestructure, to various details of construction, to combinations ofaparts-and to economies of manufacture, will be -.,apparent to those skilled in the art upon con- ,sideration of the followingdescription and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this spec ification wherein like reference characters desi nate corresponding parts inthe several views.

Referring to the drawings; I Fig.1 is a side elevation of a funnel embodying {features of the invention, parts being broken away;

. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the funnel of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view from the left of Fig. 1, showing an upper portion of the funnel body;

Fig. 4 is a side view of a modified form of the funnel of Fig. 1;

' Fig. 5 is a partial side elevation of a funnel showing an additional modification;

' Fig. 6 is a side view of a. funnel embodying "some of the features of the funnel shown in Fig.

l together with additional "features incorporated therewith;

Fig. .7V is aview"v on the line 'VII-VII',1Fig. '6; a Fig.3 is aside view of a funnel embodying featuresof the invention and adapted to handle a .wide rangeof sizes of containers;

, .Fig. 9 is a view on the line'IX-JX Fig. 8;

10 is a side elevation of a funnel similar to the .disclosure. of Fig. 6 but incorporating the added feature of controlled drainage therefrom;

1 calc-ulatedangle to the bodyto accommodate a wide range of oil intakes asfound on many present day vehicles.

The body at has its upper edgelconfigured to provide a funnel mouthwith a cut-away region [6, thereby providing the body with ample container-embracing-;-extent yet exposing acontainer 18 sufiiciently. to permit ready removal .ofthe drainedcan andthe direction of a filled con- -.tainer into the'funnelontopointZli of hired punch 22- mounted by bracket 24" to a lower portion ofthe funnel-interior,- hereinshown as being on:the'innerside of the tapered portion [2.

The ffunnel is provided with handle 265 having split'portion 28 fixed to-thebody iii. -A bracket 30 fixed to and extending from :the funnel side below-the ;handle'pivotally mounts one end of link 32, the 'oppositeend of which is pivotally attached'to-acentral portion of levert inormally held along the body side in a substantially uprightposition; by spring-3t in-turn mounted on 'rthe' handle and extending downwardly through 1 funnel.

' the split portion 28 to urge the body ID.

the levereii i toward The lever 34 extends between'the :portions of the split handle, which construction'provides a steadying guide therefor, and terminates in a punch point 38 adjacentthe upper rim of the By grasping thehandle 28 and :lever 34, and squeezing them toward each other against .the

resistance of the spring '36, the movable punch 38 swings overinto and down-wardlyin the funnel through slot "it provided for that purpose.

A container" [8 is now grasped-between the fixed punch 20- and the movable punch 38, gripping the opposite'ends of the container and as sufficient pressure is exerted on the operating handle and lever grip, the two punches will travel toward each other and-penetrate through "both'ends of the container thereby providing a drain opening through the lower container end and a'vent-through the upper end. The container contentsflowinto the funnel for delivery through spout l4. v

The features of the invention may assume various shapes which are adaptable to a wide range of assemblies. For example, the arrangement shown in Fig. 4 places the handle 28 diametrically opposite the fixed punch 22. The handle 28 is differently contoured as is the upper edge I6 of the body III. The shiftable punch 38 is carried as an extension of cam 42 having arm 44 pivotally connected to extension 48 of lever 48 terminally pivoted in the handle portion 28. A pin 50 is fixedly positioned for the cam 42 to operate thereagainst to cause the punch to swing in and down through container I8 when the lever 48 is drawn toward the handle 28. A spring 52 returns the parts to their normal positions when the lever 48 is released.

The shiftable punch 38 together with the operating lever may be a single element as shown in Fig. 5. Herein the punch 38 is integral with the lever 50 centrally pivoted on shaft 56 across the split portion 28 of a handle 28. The edges of this element are contoured to cooperate with a desired handle form. Spring 58 operates to normally hold the lever 54 laterally positioned as to the body I0. In this form, the rupture of the container is more of a tearing or shearing action.

In some instances it may be desirable to have the lower punch 22 operate as the shiftable one of the punch pair, while the upper punch 38 is held in a fixed position to have the container pushed thereagainst. Such an arrangement is illustrated in Fig. 6. The funnel body In is configured to provide lateral channel 58 having its I body connecting side closed by a partition 88 which not only completes the circumferential extent of the body interior but extends upwardly and outwardly therebeyond to provide ear 62 as a mount for pin 64 carrying the punch point 38. A reinforced ear 66 from the funnel serves as an additional support for the pin 84. Spring and washer clutch device 68 holds the pin in such rotated position as it may be placed by manual shifting either to have the punch in container engaging position or turned away permitting easier placement of a container into the funnel. The punch 22 is now mounted on arms 18 pivotally mounted on shaft I2 carried by extensions I4 from the partition 80. These extensions 14 also serve as a seat forthe initial placement of the can I8 into the funnel.

The shiftable punch structure includes an extension 18 terminated in a hook I8 engaging one terminus of a rod 88, the opposite end of the rod engaging hook terminus 82 of lever 84 centrally pivotally mounted on pin 88 in the split portion 28 of the handle 28.

In the event the funnel is to be adapted to handle a range of container sizes, the body III may be configured so the cut-away I8 provides a ledge 88 supplemented by an inwardly extending lug 90.

The partition 68 has its container engaging face on a radius to fit the minimum size container I8 for which the device is primarily designed to handle, while the adjacent funnel body portion is on the radius of a maximum size container I8. The fixed punch 22 is mounted in the lower region of the funnel adjacent the spout I4.

Lever 92 intermediately pivoted in the handle portion 28 operating against spring 98 also pivotally engages arm 96 in the channel 58. This arm 86 has claw terminus 88 to engage a bead about a container end and is moved into and out of position by cam I08.

This structure allows the grip device to force the can down onto the punch where it is not feasible to employ two opposing punches operating on the opposite ends of a container. Thus, large containers may be manipulated with one hand as readily as the smaller sizes.

It may be desirable to drain the container contents into the funnel before placing the spout for discharge, or it may be desirable to draw the material such as oil from a bulk source, measuring the quantity by its depth in the funnel.

An arrangement of the parts is conveniently made to be augmented with a discharge control valve. The upper terminus of rod may be attached to slide I82 reciprocable in track I04 struck out from the partition 80. This slide carried handle I08 is movable toward and from handle 28. The pin 64 may be mounted in the upper reach of this form of the handle 26.

A partition or dam I08 across the funnel between the body Ill and spout I4 is provided with port IIO therethrough normally closed by valve II2 on rod II4 upwardly extending through the channel 58 to terminate in offset II6 as an operating handle therefor. This offset normally rests in niche I I8 in the rim of the funnel as held by operation of spring I20 and holds the valve II2 to close the port III]. A lifting of the ofiset or handle II6 permits the funnel contents to be discharged. A twist of the offset onto the funnel edge away from seat I I8 will hold the discharge open.

The discharge control may be fixed with the punch operator by mounting the valve II2 on an extension I22 of the rod 80.

It is to be understood that the above detailed description of the present invention is intended to disclose an embodiment thereof to those skilled in the art, but that the invention is not to be construed as limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of being practiced and carried out in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. The language used in the specification relating to the operation and function of the elements of the invention is employed for purposes of description and not of limitation, and it is not intended to limit the scope of the following claims beyond the requirements of the prior art.

What is claimed and is desired to secure by United States Letters Patent:

1. A funnel of the class described comprising a body having a mouth at one end and a spout extending from the other end, a first punch mounted on said funnel to extend inwardly from the mouth thereof, a second punch disposed adjacent the spout extending toward said first punch, means for moving said second punch toward and from said first punch, a drainage valve for the funnel into said spout, and means interconnecting said valve and second punch operating mechanism whereby operation of the second punch operates said valve.

2. A funnel of the class described comprising a cylindrical body having a mouth at one end and a spout extending from the other end, a longitudinal channel outwardly extending from said body, a partition along the entrance into said channel providing a continuity of the body interior across said channel, a first punch mounted on an upper portion of. said partition and disposed to extend inwardly over the mouth of the funnel, a second punch mounted on a REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,980,434 Prahl Nov. 13, 1934 2,024,898 Weltner Dec. 17, 1935 2,036,746 Farrar Apr. '7, 1936 2,217,563 Spartain Oct. 8, 1940 2,307,378 Warfield Jan. 5, 1943 

